


Beast Outta The Bag

by shadowjack12345



Series: All Is Fair [1]
Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 11:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5126624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowjack12345/pseuds/shadowjack12345
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first story I wrote and the beginning of a short series, All Is Fair. Hope you like it!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Guilt Sucks

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything yada yada...
> 
> My Titans are gonna be a bit older... early twenties, say. I may mention other heroes from the comics but it shouldn't prove an obstacle if you don't know them. Failing that, google is your friend ;)

Beast Boy had guilt. And guilt sucks. He hadn't done anything you could say was wrong, exactly...but he felt he was using something important for selfish reasons. This, of course, makes no sense without context but that means a flashback! Okay, rewind...

"STANKBALL!" Whoop, too far, forward a bit. There we go.

Beast Boy had not stopped grinning since he and his team had arrived on the JLA Watchtower. They met semi-regularly with the Justice Society of America to maintain ties, update pertinent information and trade stories, usually with a buffet. This time, however, the two veteran teams had extended invitations to other groups of crimefighters including the Shadowpact, Doom Patrol and the Titans. It was mostly informal, as usual, but there were a few scheduled events and presentations as well. Beast Boy looked around him, trying to see what his teammates were up to:

Nightwing, formerly Robin, was standing with Batman, apparently introducing himself to the new Robin. This boy, Beast Boy knew, would be the third Robin after the short and tragic career of the second, but he didn't know his name.

Starfire was making a deliberate effort to mingle with as much of the crowd as possible but, at the moment, had stopped to chat to Green Lantern and Superman about extraterrestrial events, something she simply couldn't do at home.

Cyborg was standing near a table demonstrating several examples of technology confiscated from villains like Lex Luthor, T.O. Morrow, Professor Ivo and, supplied by Cyborg himself, Gizmo. Other tech experts like Mr Terrific and Red Tornado, as well as a few civilian attendees like Will Magnus, listened dutifully, occasionally asking questions or contributing information or opinions. Cyborg was in his element.

Raven had also found a group of people who shared her interests. She quietly conversed with Zatanna, Doctor Fate and the Enchantress about various magics they had learned and discovered.

Beast Boy smiled at the sight. She had been nervous that the other magic users would dismiss her as the child of a demon, though she hadn't admitted it. Even so, Beast Boy had known: he was an expert in Raven-watching. Even now, he found his gaze lingering a little too long. When Robin had transitioned to Nightwing, he said everyone else should think about any uniform changes they might want to make. Raven had been the only one to make any significant alterations, moving from a leotard to a full-body uniform but still wearing her cloak and belt. Beast Boy had been surprised by his own disappointment when Raven appeared with covered legs but, naturally, kept it to himself. This had been the point when Beast Boy began to consciously realise his attraction to Raven. After all, as an adolescent boy fighting crime with two pretty adolescent girls, he had quickly come to terms with his hormones out of necessity, letting go of any guilt he experienced when he would unwittingly glance at Starfire's backside or Raven's legs. But there is a big difference between subconsciously admiring someone and being genuinely dismayed when they stop showing skin! After a brief panic, Beast Boy made the excuse to himself that he was finally losing control of his hormones and, as Starfire was spoken for, Raven was the obvious choice for this childish infatuation. Crisis solved, Beast Boy went about his life as usual, even as a small part of him decided Raven's new snug-in-all-the-right-places uniform had its own virtues.

While Beast Boy's train of thought hovered around her style of dress, Raven herself looked away from Zatanna and Fate's conversation for a moment to see the changeling looking in her direction. She offered him an almost-smile and waved casually before turning back to the discussion, briefly reminiscing to herself about how she and Beast Boy had regularly argued in their teenage years. Their relationship now was much calmer (but not completely without arguments, pranks or the occasional awful joke: it seemed Beast Boy would remain Beast Boy, even in manhood). Her almost-smile grew imperceptibly wider, then she returned her attention to the people in front of her.

Beast Boy had been startled out of his reverie when Raven had noticed him but had reacted quickly and simply waved back. Instances where he got lost while staring like that had completely destroyed his hormones excuse, even in his own mind. There were other instances, too... like when Raven had begun meditating straight away after returning from a bank robbery. This meant she was still wearing her uniform. When she finished, she unfolded from the lotus position and, apparently, saw a wrinkle in the material around her left leg. Beast Boy, now in civvies and watching TV (with headphones after one too many arguments with the demoness), had been watching idly up to this point, sipping soda from a can. Then, in an effort to eliminate the wrinkle, Raven smoothly bent over while keeping her leg carefully straight, running her hands down the back of her calf. Beast Boy promptly choked on his beverage, convinced that A) Raven had no idea he was there and B) he would never again be able to refer to his infatuation as 'childish'. Raven quickly stood up straight, a blush of embarrassment dusting her cheeks both for the "pose" she had been striking and the fact that she hadn't noticed Beast Boy's presence. Her embarrassment quickly turned to anger and she raised an eyebrow at Beast Boy, daring him to say what caused his outburst...but that time, he was saved. He wordlessly pointed at the TV screen and, when Raven moved to look, she saw a music video featuring a small army of swimsuit models. She shook her head at Beast Boy's behaviour (and her own) and left with only one parting word:

"Boys..."

Beast Boy shook his head, trying to force the recollection away. He looked around the collection of superheroes again, this time looking for someone else. He was becoming increasingly paranoid that Raven would discover his secret...that, even though he knew she would never deliberately violate his privacy, one day his ever-increasing feelings for her would be too "loud" for her not to sense them. He found his quarry and moved through the crowd. The target saw him as he approached, smiled and held out his hand which Beast Boy shook with a smile of his own.

"Garfield Logan. Most people know me as Beast Boy, though..."

"J'onn Jonzz. Most people know me as the Martian Manhunter."

"Good to meet you, Mr. Jonzz. If it's alright, I have a professional favour to ask." J'onn nodded his head, indicating he should go on. Beast Boy took a deep breath: he had been practicing this question since yesterday. "I'd like to learn more about shielding my thoughts or feelings from psychics and empaths.."

As the Titans returned home, Garfield reflected that J'onn had earnestly taught him everything a non-psychic could do to protect their thoughts and emotions or, at least, as much as he could in the time they had. Now Beast Boy, as he bid the others goodnight and walked to his room, was using that training to hide his crush from a girl. An empathic girl, yes but that was basically it. He scowled at himself a little...now he had guilt. And guilt sucks.


	2. Y'know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and stuff.
> 
> The first chapter was very light on dialogue while I set the scene but I'll try and get some more interaction in this and following chapters.

The morning after the gathering at the JLA Watchtower, the Titans had gathered in the common room for breakfast. Four of them anyway. The fifth stumbled blearily through the doors and silently shuffled over to the kitchen area to prepare his cereal. He plopped down at the dining table and spoke through a mouthful of 'Sugar Pops',

"Mornin' guys."

"Oh, good morning Beast Boy! I hope you slept well and enjoyed good dreams." Beast Boy couldn't help but smile at the Tamaranian. She was usually upbeat but, still buzzing after last night, he could almost feel the joy radiating from her.

"Thanks Star, I slept okay." He couldn't suppress a small chuckle as Starfire clapped her hands lightly and spun in the air at his answer...she wasn't likely to calm down anytime soon. Nobody minded. Nightwing, dressed in vest and sweats, with damp hair indicating an early shower preceded by an even earlier workout, nodded and smiled affably over his newspaper at the changeling.

"Morning, Gar."

"Robin." Beast Boy grinned at his 'mistake'. Nightwing frowned in his direction but you could see the humour behind his eyes. Cyborg, sitting on the couch with his own breakfast, held his hand up in greeting without looking away from the TV.

"Hey, BB."

"Hey, Cy." One Titan remained silent, dressed in a white t-shirt and black jeans and wearing her old costume's blue boots as slippers. Raven was curled up at the end of the couch, poring over an arcane tome loaned to her by Doctor Fate. Beast Boy currently sat with his back to her but, as he chewed his food, he closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. His enhanced sense of smell let him isolate and identify the individual scents of his friends: Nightwing's generic soap, Starfire's completely alien scent mixed with her favourite, fruit-scented shampoo, Cyborg's unusual mix of human and machine and Raven's mix of herbs, incense, tea and an underlying, almost smoky scent that Beast Boy theorised was part of her demonic heritage and was uniquely Raven. He smiled again and opened his eyes. Without turning around he spoke.

"Morning, Rae."

"..."

"*sigh* Morning, Raven," Beast Boy corrected with a smirk.

"...Garfield". At the mention of his name, warmth swelled in the shape-shifter's belly, and he quickly began to shield his emotions by reciting the alphabet in his head. In theory, anyone trying to get a read on BB's thoughts would be hampered by this surface thought, unable to read anything beneath it. In theory. Breakfast carried on as usual and Beast Boy eventually joined Cyborg in watching TV while everyone traded stories from the previous night. Raven mostly let the others do the talking until Starfire piped up.

"Friend Raven, I saw you talking with the Doctor of Fate and Zatanna Zatara. Of what did you speak?" Raven looked up from her book recalling the conversation. It had mostly been professional until, shortly after Fate excused himself for a few minutes, the Enchantress (who may or may not have had a drink or two) changed the subject.

"So which one do you have your eye on, Raven?" Zatanna pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation but smiled all the same. Raven was utterly confused.

"Excuse me?"

"Which of the Titans do you have your eye on? Nightwing and Starfire are clearly together, that leaves two boys and one girl so...which one, assuming you're straight, that is," at this casual discussion of her... orientation, Raven's expression remained neutral but her cheeks coloured slightly, "of those two do you think you might..." the Enchantress waved her hand artfully, trying to come up with an appropriate word. Then gave up. "...y'know?"

"Why do I have to..." Raven sarcastically mimicked the other woman's hand-waving gesture "...'y'know' with either of them?" The Enchantress smiled with false innocence.

"Are you saying you wouldn't?" Raven sighed. Far from the drunken idiot she was pretending to be, the Enchantress had managed to force Raven to indulge in gossip. She'd have to watch that one.

"Cyborg and I are more like brother and sister than anything. Big brother if you ask him." Zatanna snickered at that. Enchantress pressed further...

"And Beast Boy? A lot of the other girls seem to notice him..." Raven glanced in his direction, seeing him make his way toward the Martian Manhunter of the JLA. On closer inspection, several younger female guests gave him an appraising look. Nothing serious or overt but, it seemed the flash of green skin was enough to get someone's attention and, in some cases, that attention lingered for a few seconds. Raven was actually slightly irritated she'd never noticed this before. It was all quite innocent and largely subtle but she prided herself on being observant. It also caused her to take an objective look at their green teammate. He had grown taller, of course, now standing at about 5' 9''. His build was lithe and athletic but not bulky. The smile he aimed at those around him had become disarming instead of hyperactive and, who knows, maybe chicks really did dig the ears. Her eyes widened at the realisation that, no matter how clinical her thought process had been, she had effectively just checked Beast Boy out. The cackle to her left told her she had been caught in the act.

"Enjoying the view, Raven? You can't deny that he's a pretty thing!" The Enchantress waggled her eyebrows as she spoke. Raven smirked despite herself, both at the Enchantress and how she imagined Beast Boy would react to being called 'pretty'.

"I've never really thought about Beast Boy that way," Raven eventually replied. "I always looked at him and just saw...Beast Boy, a green ball of hyperactive energy. Now, though... you're right, Enchantress, I can't deny that he's become a p- handsome...young man. But we're just friends." The Enchantress looked ready to continue the discussion but as Doctor Fate returned to the group, Zatanna deftly turned the conversation back to more professional grounds. Raven cast a small, grateful smile her way, indulged in one last glance at Beast Boy, his face showing a determined focus he rarely displayed off-duty, then she returned her attention to the people around her once again...

Raven's recollection ended and she realised that Starfire was still waiting for an answer. Deciding a simple answer was best she shrugged her shoulders and said one word:

"Magic." Beast Boy laughed lightly at her answer and then listened as Nightwing described some new gadget ideas he'd discussed with Batman. Raven raised her book again, not only to read but also to hide the tiny smile she had been unable to suppress. As she once again got lost in the text before her, she idly wondered why making Beast Boy laugh had made her feel so...fuzzy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More scene setting, this time with some of Raven's perspective. I hope my relentless flashbacks aren't confusing anyone!
> 
> -Jack


	3. Idiot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dislaimer - I don't own the Teen Titans, blah blah blah...

Beast Boy was an idiot. As the green hero stared at his reflection in his bathroom mirror, he became more and more convinced that he was, in fact, an idiot. He had thought he was being so clever when he decided to talk to Martian Manhunter. Well, he had done what he set out to do, completed his plan, reached his goal: his secret was safe. Problem solved, right? Except there was a new problem... what now?

"Ugh...so stupid!" He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the mirror. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't entirely sure why he had spent so much time and effort to make sure nobody knew about his...his...thing with Raven. He remembered telling himself that he couldn't deal with it without making sure he had time to think, to sort himself out. He knew now it had been an excuse - an exercise in procrastination. Now he had removed his own excuse and realised that, now he was the only one who knew, he had to decide what to do next. He pulled back and stared at his reflected self again.

"Okay. Let's list my options. 1) I could go on like this, she'd never find out and we'd just be friends. But she'll still be there." This option had merit and the plus of being the easiest to achieve.

"2) I could try to ask her out or something, she could say no, it would be awkward but, if I play it cool, it'll seem like it wasn't such a big deal and we'd go back to being friends after a while. And I'd know if I had a chance" This felt like a good option, if bittersweet...but to say something and do something were very different things and just saying it frightened him!

"3) I go crazy, profess my undying lo- like to Raven and she would freak out and never speak to me again!" Yeah. this one was a bad idea...and caused a dull ache in Beast Boy's chest. His gaze dropped to the floor and his voice reduced to barely a whisper...

"4) I could stay quiet... and she could meet someone else. And she would be happy with them. And I would never know if I could have made her happy too." This one hurt, like a knife in his ribs. His eyes stung a bit and he took a deep breath. He looked back at the mirror and his reflection showed that he couldn't quite believe what he was about to say.

"5) I could say something and...she could say something back. And we could do something... could BE something...together." This one seemed the least likely outcome but filled him with a warmth that made him feel he was almost floating. His smile grew slowly, until he almost started laughing. Reality set in and it diminished somewhat as Beast Boy realised there was a lot to get through to reach that point. He only had to decide if the reward was worth the risk... and if he was brave enough to risk it.

Raven sat in the common room, Doctor Fate's book open in her lap and an empty tea-cup sitting on the table in front of her. To anyone who had seen her at any time during the morning, she seemed to be her usual stoic and tranquil self. Indeed, Nightwing and Starfire sat at the dining table, chatting after finishing their breakfast while Cyborg sat on the floor, gleefully ripping open a cardboard box whilst giggling in a manner disturbingly reminiscent of an excited child. Raven had asked what it was but when Cyborg had started explaining it was a new part for his car, Raven faded out for the rest of the exchange. An entirely typical morning, almost to the point of cliché. Not for Raven, however. Despite the book in front of her and her placid demeanor, she stared out the window into space, deep in thought.

The subject of this introspection? The dream she had dreamed last night. A dream about Beast Boy. Now, whether or not Raven would admit such a thing if she were asked, she, like any other person, had the occasional erotic dream. When she had them, they usually featured anonymous, fictional partners but they had, on occasion, featured people she knew in the waking world like Robin, Aqualad,even one slightly confusing dream about Jinx and, she was sure, there had probably been one involving Beast Boy. She knew these dreams meant very little if anything at all and disregarded them easily. But last night's dream had been different: not erotic but... romantic. Her recollection was vague as with all dreams but she could remember that at one point, dream-Beast Boy had simply taken her hand, stood in front of her and just... gazed at her, a small but heartbreakingly sincere smile on his face. That smile, more than any other detail, was vivid in her mind. When her dream-self had asked what he was doing, dream-Beast Boy had reached up with his other hand, tucked her hair behind her right ear, then moved it down to her cheek, gently stroking the skin below her eye with his thumb. The smile had remained, never changing, while dream-Raven leaned into the touch ever so slightly. His mouth had opened to speak... and then Raven, real-world-Raven, had woken up.

At first she had been disoriented, then an odd amalgam of disappointed, relieved and embarrassed. Her emotions had been safely locked away as she slept (a result of months of work on a specific charm that lay at her bedside) but, with her awake, her bed had started to rise from the floor. She had closed her eyes, slowed her breathing and lowered herself and her bed back to solid ground before performing her daily ablutions, dressing and going for her usual cup of tea. Then Raven sat with an open book, not reading a single word while the others arrived and performed their own morning rituals... which leaves us pretty much where we started. Raven's re-examination of her dream proved a little too... distracting as Cyborg's now (luckily) empty delivery box exploded, raining foam packing critters all over the common room. Cyborg clutched his new part protectively, a look of horror aimed at Raven while Nightwing and Starfire looked at her with eyebrows raised in question.

"Uh...Sorry?" Silence. "I... got to a really good part." Raven explained, raising the book slightly in explanation.

"I thought it was a book of magic." Nightwing said, eyebrow still elevated. Raven's voice and face remained completely passive.

"I really like magic." She turned back to her book (still not reading) and scooped up all the critters with her powers, dumping them and the destroyed box down the recycling chute. The others left it that, though Cyborg kept an eye on her as he made his way to the garage, muttering under his breath. Raven's thoughts now vacillated between blaming her dream on the Enchantress, blaming it on Beast Boy and blaming it on Beast Boy again for good measure. She knew it was silly but, statistically, Beast Boy was partially to blame for most things that irritated her so it simply felt normal. The reason the dream had her so shaken was not just that it was about Beast Boy but the nature of the dream itself. When she had told Enchantress she hadn't thought of Beast Boy in a romantic light, she could just as easily have said she hadn't really thought of ANYONE like that. Not really. Her misadventure with Malchior had been her only real attempt at romance and hadn't exactly left her eager to try again. Other than that, her... lifestyle didn't encourage meeting a lot of new people. The only four people she was genuinely close to all lived in this building, two of whom were a couple, one had practically adopted her as his sister and one was Beast Boy who was out of the question. Until now, it seemed. She felt a slight twinge of guilt: she had made it sound like he was her last resort, which somehow seemed like a disservice. After all, she had already conceded to his attractiveness, why not admit to his other virtues while she was at it? He was...loyal. Determined. Brave.

Loyal, determined, brave?! You forgot hilarious, awesome,gorgeous and SEXY!

Raven's eyes widened as one of her emotions "helpfully" chipped in. She gave a second to isolate her thoughts and begin her list again, this time speaking quietly to herself.

"He's loyal. He's determined. He's brave. He's... gentle. He-" At this point, the door opened and Beast Boy shuffled through, eyes half-closed.

"Morning guys. I miss anything?"

"Raven popped a box full of critters all over the room and almost made Cyborg cry," Nightwing responded. Beast boy almost pouted.

"Seriously?! Awwww, dude! I always miss the good stuff." He continued to mope on his way to the kitchen, ears drooping. Raven had watched the entire thing.

"He's... kinda cute" she whispered to herself, that almost smile on her face again. Beast Boy turned around, bowl in hand, and saw Raven looking in his direction. She started but didn't immediately turn away, thus she was surprised when, instead of showing confusion, he smiled shyly at her before sitting down to eat his breakfast. Before she could give any more thought to his reaction, the alarm sounded and the Titans scrambled, Beast Boy nearly choking himself by trying to pour all of his remaining cereal down his throat. As they all went to don their uniforms, Raven followed behind the still-spluttering shape-shifter and thought to herself, as she had many times before but never with the hint of fondness it carried now:

"Idiot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Chapter number 3 down, however many left to go (seriously, I have no idea)! I hope you guys enjoy it. Where Raven lists BB's good points, I really thought about providing examples but I decided to let that be up to the reader: we've all read/watched examples of each of those and. hopefully, this means you'll visualise your favourites while Raven can carry on uninterrupted! Thanks again for all the attention :)
> 
> -Jack


	4. Titans Go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer - Jack don't own jack!
> 
> Okay! Should get a bit more action and less introspection in this chapter, let's see if I can actually do it!

Jump City, like most cities, had a criminal element. A bit less typical were the various super-criminals that resided there, some for profit, some simply called the place home and some were there to specifically face the city's guardians, the Titans. They never won. Sure, there had been close calls like Trigon or Terra, but the Titans had always dusted themselves off, gotten to their feet and triumphed. Those experiences had taught each member of the Titans to be eternally vigilant and to never, NEVER, take an enemy for granted. Lately, Jump City had seen several quiet thefts from companies researching various bleeding-edge technologies. The thefts had always been discovered the following day, leaving little to do but gather and study any evidence left behind. The robberies didn't have the police particularly concerned beyond the crimes themselves but the combination of experience, cynicism and paranoia had Nightwing concerned that the thefts might not be motivated by greed but the need for whatever tech they had stolen. Despite the urgency, the corporations had been loath to disclose the nature of the technology: all they had been able to discover was that they had been working on nanotechnology with medical applications. Industrial espionage was a feasible explanation but Nightwing's gut told him there was more to it.

Thus, when alerted that there had been another theft - that was still in progress! - the Titans were there to nip this plot, if it was a plot, in the bud. Each Titan was surprised at what they found: instead of the quiet, stealthy perpetrator(s) they were expecting, Cinderblock stood in the rubble of what had been another corporate engineering laboratory. Not too long after they arrived, the grey brute noticed the heroes and immediately charged into their midst.

Without a word, the TItans scattered, Raven launching Cyborg into the air with her powers while Starfire lifted Nightwing along with her. Cinderblock's fist pounded into the ground where Beast Boy had stood, waiting until the last minute to shift into a hummingbird and dart away. Starfire released Nightwing who, switching to a reverse grip on his escrima sticks, landed on Cinderblock's back and jammed the electrified weapons down at the base of his neck. He leapt to one side and before the creature could gather himself, Cyborg smashed into him from above, knocking the villain to the ground face first. After a blast from his sonic cannon for good measure, Cyborg jumped to the ground and ran to a safe distance. Having decided there was enough space, the green hummingbird hovered a dozen yards above Cinderblock as he slowly struggled to rise, then instantly morphed into a blue whale, crushing the grey behemoth. The villain thrashed under the weight but soon ceased to struggle. Beast Boy reverted to his humanoid shape and got out of the way as Raven flipped Cinderblock onto his back with her powers, the villain groaning slightly. He raised his head as Starfire alighted on his chest, kneeling down to look in his eyes.

"Sweet dreams, Cinderblock!" Her eyes glowing green, Starfire drew her fist back and then slugged her enemy across the jaw, knocking him out and causing the ground to shake for a moment. Nightwing shook his head in astonishment at his girlfriend, not for her display of strength but for...

"... 'Sweet dreams'?" The tamaranian did nothing to reply but giggle. Beast Boy was in high spirits as the team gathered around their fallen adversary, even high-fiving Cyborg.

"Dude, that fight lasted, like, ten seconds! That must be a record." His grin threatened to consume his entire face and, somehow, only got wider when Cyborg confirmed his theory with a grin of his own. Raven would normally have ignored the display but, on this occasion, watched closely as he ran around Cinderblock's prone form, holding his hand up for the other team members to contribute their own high fives. Starfire did so with gusto, almost knocking the changeling off his feet, and Nightwing simply lifted his own hand and let Beast Boy do the work, shaking his head but smiling anyway. Raven was fascinated: this was a fairly regular occurence for them and, if one thought about it, a show of coordinated violence. Yet Beast Boy had found some innocent joy in it and had inadvertently shared it with all those around him.

All of a sudden, the aforementioned Beast Boy popped up in front of her, holding his hand up. He knew she never participated in such things but had decided long ago that the invitation was what mattered. Imagine his astonishment then, when Raven shyly raised her right hand and gently clapped it against his own, her smile small but there for all to see. Even after her hand had been lowered, his remained where it was as he stared at her in shock. Beast Boy shook himself slightly and Raven braced for the inevitable, hyperactive invasion of her personal space...but nothing came. She looked up at his face again and her breath caught - that smile! It was the smile she had dreamed of... and his eyes, they looked at her as if he hadn't seen her for years and couldn't quite believe she was real. The faintest of blushes rose to her cheeks while their friends glanced at each other in confusion.

""Uh..." just as Cyborg dared to break the silence, Raven spoke.

"Beast Boy, you're bleeding!" The shape-shifter snapped out of his trance at her words and saw Raven's hands reach toward the left side of his neck. He winced when her fingers made contact with a bright red scratch.

"Ouch. Cinderbrain musta tagged me when I was smooshing him" Raven nodded and, with a little spark of blue, healed the blemish. "It was just a scratch, Rae. You didn't have to-"

"I know I didn't have to," Raven interrupted, then became uncharacteristically sheepish. "I...I wanted to." This time it was his turn to blush as his grin returned. Raven's smile appeared as well, as wide as anyone could ever remember her smiling before. Cyborg looked at Nightwing, mouth open, and pointed silently at the pair. The masked man shrugged and, when he spoke, made a point of speaking louder than usual.

"OKAY! Let's get this finished up. Cyborg, Beast Bo-BEAST BOY!" The green hero finally noticed the world around him and looked, wide-eyed, at his leader. "We'll go and check out the crime scene, see if we can't find anything to work out who's in charge of this thing - I think it's safe to assume Cinderblock isn't the mastermind." Beast Boy snickered while Cyborg just smiled. "Raven, Starfire - you keep an eye on him until the police arrive, they should have received the same alert we did." Now all business, the three men turned and walked to what remained of the laboratory.

Raven opened her communicator and informed the police about their prisoner while Starfire leaned down and gently prodded Cinderblock's face. Satisfied he wasn't getting up she floated towards her companion, an innocently amused look on her face.

"Friend Raaaaaaavennnnn!" she sang. "What was that?" Raven's expression was neutral but her cheeks tinted again. She brought up her hood and looked sideways at Starfire for a few seconds before choosing her answer:

"What was what?" She was stalling and she and her questioner both knew. Not one for beating around the bush, Starfire asked exactly what she wanted to know.

"What was that unusual social exchange between you and our mutual friend, Beast Boy?" Raven almost smiled at the clinical description of...of...yeah. She thought about trying denial again but decided to get it all over with before the rest of the team returned.

"I...don't know, Star." She paused for several seconds and Starfire waited patiently. "Let's just say... I was given a new perspective on 'our mutual friend', Beast Boy." The tamaranian was silent, not yet satisfied. Raven groaned a little but continued, "Someone opened my eyes a little and I suppose... I suppose I'm seeing something new in him. No, that's not fair, it isn't new. But I am finally able to see what others saw before me"

"Which is?" Raven almost visibly recoiled. Starfire had a knack for asking difficult questions.

"I don't know how to say it." Starfire appeared disappointed and was about to press further but Raven continued, barely above a whisper: "But...b-but I think I like it." Raven's cheeks, hidden in the shadow of her hood, flamed brighter than they ever had and her eyes watched cautiously for her friend's response. The alien was so happy she practically glowed - Raven usually made a point of not exploring another's emotions without permission but in some cases, like when Starfire felt anything, she broadcast it so loud Raven couldn't help but sense it. Even if she hadn't been empathic, she might have guessed from the way Starfire was slowly floating higher and higher from the ground.

"Uh...Star?" Raven's call brought the alien woman to her senses and she swooped back down to Raven's side. Then Raven heard the others coming back. "Star, this is a secret, okay? Please don't say anything and we can talk at home."

"Of course, friend Raven," she replied gently. Without another word, they turned to listen to whatever their teammates had to say. Nightwing was confused. Which also meant he was annoyed - he hated being confused.

"We found the secure section of the lab where they kept their more valuable research - it's built like a bank vault! It's also still sealed." Raven frowned along with him.

"Nothing was stolen?" Their leader nodded.

"Seems that way. So either we caught it before it got done or... robbery wasn't the motive. And considering Cinderblock's presence, it feels like this was staged to draw us out." Beast Boy spoke next while staring at the unconscious villain.

"Could be he heard about the same crimes we did, decided to see if there was money in it for himself." Nightwing looked at him skeptically. "I know it's not likely but we can't rule it out. This guy's dumb as a bag of rocks!" Nightwing nodded reluctantly. He had a point. The other three members looked at Beast Boy in surprise but Nightwing feigned nonchalance. During the Brotherhood escapade, Beast Boy had shown surprising leadership but seemed unwilling to lead unless absolutely necessary. So whenever there was an un-Beast Boy-ish outburst of logic, Nightwing acted as if it was completely normal so his friend wouldn't be put off.

"Okay... but we should still be prepared in case we're being targeted. No-one goes out solo until this is resolved, agreed?" The team all nodded. "Okay. We'll go home after the police secure Cinderblock." Soon after, the police arrived with a specially adapted vehicle to transport Cinderblock back to prison. Nightwing talked with the officer in charge for a few minutes and then the team made for home. He sat in the passenger seat of Cyborg's car while Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy all flew home. The entire time he worried over what might be in store for him and his friends. At the same time, Raven had an even more terrifying thing to face, something which she, half-demon superheroine, was totally unprepared for. When she got home she would have to speak to Starfire and they would... she shuddered at the thought...

They would talk about boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Chapter 4. More of the outside world creeping in now, maybe some trouble ahead for our heroes? Well, yeah, they're superheroes and stuff! After thinking that every member was shown to be extremely capable outside of just punching bad guys, I decided to show a little growth for BB as well. I'm not gonna make him a tactical genius or anything but, in the comics, he does lead the Titans so this makes sense. I rewrote Nightwing's little internal monologue about it, like, five times so I'm sorry if it still seems like I just shoehorned it in there. Other than that...they got all fluffy! lol Who knew I could write fluff?! Well, I hope people enjoy this one, have at it!
> 
> P.S. I'm a good speller and I try my best to proof-read before I post but spelling mistakes are a pet hate, one that I can't help but try and correct. I'm that guy you know on Facebook who constantly reminds you of the difference between there, their and they're. So if you see any mistakes, I will not be insulted if you tell me so I can fix it. That and I'm paranoid I'm gonna call him Robin!
> 
> P.P.S. Wow, that was a long post script!
> 
> -Jack


	5. Good Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beast Outta the Bag - Chapter 5
> 
> Disclaimer: blah blah blah, own nothing.
> 
> Not much action the previous chapter and probably less in this one. Back to talking and thinking and stuff ^_^

The Titans arrived home after their skirmish with Cinderblock, none the worse for wear. It should have been a win to satisfy even Nightwing's standards but he was pensive about what might happen next. He decided it was a good idea to take another look at the evidence, now that the mystery thieves seemed to have found what they were looking for. First, though, there was something else he had to see to.

"I'm going to my room," Raven announced. Starfire asked permission to join her, which was granted. When the two women had left, Beast Boy vaulted over the back of the couch, sat down and picked up a controller.

"Who's up for some...games?" Beast Boy had realised mid-sentence that Nightwing and Cyborg had sat down on either side of him. Nightwing reached up and removed his mask so Beast Boy could see his eyes but Cyborg spoke first.

"What was that, back there?" Beast Boy grinned at the question.

"You mean besides us whoopin' Dunderblock in record time, heheheh?" The other two men were undeterred. Nightwing spoke next.

"What was that with you and Raven?" Beast Boy's head spun around as he confirmed Raven had left the room. Then he blushed a little and watched his hands as they fidgeted.

"Uh... I dunno. First I was just playing but then Raven played along and Raven NEVER plays along and then I was just...just..." His rambling stalled, Cyborg tried to get it going again.

"You were just what?" The green man shook his head dreamily, his eyes wide and blank as he remembered.

"I looked at her and... and she looked at me with those eyes and I... I just got lost. If you hadn't called me, Rob, I mighta stood there til I starved!" Nightwing bristled a little at the use of his old moniker. Beast Boy was trying to divert his attention! He was sneakier than he gave him credit...

"So you like Raven, then." Cyborg had spoken. It was not a question. Beast Boy scratched the back of his head and admitted very, very quietly:

"Yes."

"...Wow," said Cyborg as he and Nightwing leaned back in their seats, processing the new information. Before either could think of what to say next, Beast Boy had grabbed Nightwing's shoulders and was staring at him with wide, frantic eyes.

"Dick! You gotta help me, man. Buddy? Pal? Dudebro?!" The use of his real name and the general panic surprised Nightwing. Beast Boy really liked Raven, it seemed.

"What? Why me?"

"You're the only guy here with a girlfriend and that makes you our local expert!"

"But you-"

"Yeah, I had a couple of dates and stuff but they were nothing serious. And if even if they were, you wouldn't dare say Raven would be the same as them!" Beast Boy had a point. That was twice in one day.

"Okay, okay but... Starfire and I...with us." He sighed and started again. "I was an idiot! For years, I missed or ignored any signals she sent my way. Even when it all came out, I almost turned her away because I thought that's what a hero would do. I was really, really stupid. But she was patient with me and gave me time and the occasional 'nudge' until I came to my senses. And following what you said earlier, any experience I have with Star won't translate to Raven." Beast Boy's face crumpled and his ears sagged.

"Ugh...you're right." Cyborg put his hand on his friend's shoulder before adding his two cents.

"Okay so we might not know about how to get you with Raven but we do know Raven. I think we can make some educated guesses at some decent ideas." The green man perked up a little.

"Like what?" asked the changeling. Nightwing spoke this time.

"Well we know how she feels about Valentine's Day: a 'commercialised waste of time and paper' I think she said this year. So cards, candy, that sort of thing? Not for Raven." Cyborg nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! We also know Raven doesn't like crowds or people she doesn't know getting involved in her business, so trying to take her out to somewhere big and fancy where there's a ton of people is a bad idea too... at least at first." Beast Boy had his professional face on - he was taking this chat seriously. It was Nightwing's turn again.

"BB, I think your best plan for now is to just try and spend time with her. I saw the way she was looking at you, there's something there. I think she probably wouldn't mind if you tried to get a little closer but..." He paused, not sure how to continue.

"Spit it out, dude!" Beast Boy wailed.

"You know, that if you want anything with Raven, you'll need to take it at her pace. That probably means taking things very slowly. She told me once that, with her need for emotional control, she needs time to adjust to what we might call small changes. She also said that was one of the two reasons she found it so hard to live with us at first."

"What was the other?" asked Cyborg. Nightwing grinned as he answered.

"We were all pains in the ass." They all laughed at that, Beast Boy loudest of all. "And be yourself. I know that's cliché but, with Raven, she'd see through any attempt to act different. So be you. She deserves at least that much." Beast Boy looked determined but with a smile.

"Okay. I get it. She's like...a rose." Seeing the question in his friends' eyes he elaborated. "If I'm careful, take my time and do things properly, I can hold the rose and appreciate it. If I rush or come on too strong, I get the thorns!" The other two men chuckled. "Not totally the same, though. Roses are pretty. Beautiful, even. Raven is...exquisite." Cyborg and Nightwing's eyebrows almost shot to the ceiling. Beast Boy had just been deep, thoughtful and had used a long word! He had it bad... The amazement didn't last long. Cyborg put on an artfully sappy expression.

"D'awwwwwww!" Then, as Beast Boy stared into space, Cyborg smacked him in the face with a pillow. Nightwing chortled as he got up to go and get changed.

"Good talk, guys."

Starfire knocked on Raven's door. She had gone to her own room first to change into more comfortable clothes (t-shirt and cropped leggings) and now waited for Raven to do the same. The door slid open and Starfire saw Raven sat on the bed, wearing a worn, blue hoodie and grey jeans. Closing the door behind her, Starfire zoomed over to the bed and joined her friend.

"How long have you had romantic feelings for friend Beast Boy?" she asked. Raven almost fell over. That was certainly to-the-point.

"Slow down, Star! When we were at the JLA Watchtower, someone pointed out that I might not have...properly appreciated Beast Boy. So now I'm making an effort to do that and, in doing so, might have discovered that I may potentially have a chance at possibly harbouring what might be considered-"

"You like him," Starfire interrupted. Raven had wide eyes and looked like a cornered animal before sighing heavily and responding.

"Yeah. Maybe"

"There is no maybe, Raven, I witnessed your making of the 'googly eyes' at each other!" Raven laughed a little.

"Don't remind me." She became more serious. "Starfire, I...I don't really know what I'm doing in this sort of situation. You know how long it can take for me to get used to new things. Anyone who wanted anything to do with me would have to go at my pace. My very, very slow and cautious pace. Who would want to get stuck with that?" Starfire spoke with a calm that soothed even Raven's volatile emotions.

"Friend Beast Boy knows you as well as anyone in the world, Raven. Do you think that he would not know this himself?" Raven thought briefly but Starfire quickly asked another question. "What attributes did you newly appreciate about friend Beast Boy?" Raven squirmed a little under her friend's gaze but answered honestly.

"I made a list. I decided he was loyal, determined, brave and, uh...kinda cute." Raven flipped her hood up as she spoke the last one. Starfire smiled at her friend.

"Than can we not trust in his loyalty and determination? Can we not trust him to treat your heart with care?" Raven was quiet for a long moment and then finally whispered the question that really haunted her.

"What if he decides I'm not worth it?" Starfire almost wept at that very moment, her next words thick with emotion.

"Oh, Raven... you are worth it and much more. I cannot say I know what will happen in your future but I can say you deserve every bit of happiness and joy you can find. With all the things you have done, sacrifices you have made for the benefit of others then, if you desire companionship, you are deserving of someone who can appreciate and love you in your entirety. Would it be so bad to give Beast Boy a chance to be that someone?" Raven shook her head, not trusting her voice and with tears shining in her eyes. To Starfire's amazement and everlasting joy, her normally taciturn friend reached out and pulled her into a grateful embrace. The tamaranian princess simply smiled and (gently, for a change) hugged back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things accelerating slightly now! Both BB and Raven know there's something there and both know it will have to be taken slowly. But can they get over their fears and do something about it? Well, yeah or this story would have ended with this chapter. We'll see what happens next soon enough ;)
> 
> -Jack


	6. Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Insert disclaimer here
> 
> Well, the last chapter got a bit emotional, eh? Let's see what happens next to our protagonists! Incidentally, I might delve into some background stuff so I'll say now that I'm making it up and you shouldn't take it as canon.

Raven meditated, hovering a foot above her bed. After Starfire had left, she decided a little serenity would do her good. An hour or two later, feeling more like herself, she opened her eyes and glanced at her bedside clock. It read 4:30 pm. She realised she had inadvertently skipped lunch and at the same time, she felt a hollowness in her stomach. Standing and walking to her door, she paused, reluctant to walk through. She didn't know what might happen if she ran into Beast Boy but she was convinced something would happen. By opening this door, she was taking a step past the point of no return. A few seconds passed while she stared at the featureless door. Then a few more. Then a lot more. Her stomach groaned yet she stood absolutely still. A voice echoed in her skull.

"Can't stay here forever, Raven. Moving forward is the only way so open that door, march out there and face whatever happens next with your head held high!" Her emotion, Brave, left it at that. The door opened and the sorceress stepped through, turned and walked to the common room. When she arrived, Cyborg was alone and sat at the table, adjusting some doodad he insisted on calling a technological marvel. Raven had no idea or interest in what it might or might not be so left him to his work as she moved into the kitchen. As she prepared a small sandwich for herself she decided she wasn't even slightly disappointed that Beast Boy wasn't there. Nope, not at all. She wasn't even curious where he might be.

"Where's B- everyone, Cyborg?" Damn it. He looked up as if only just noticing her.

"Nightwing wanted to go over any evidence with the police and Star went with him. No one goes solo, remember?"

"Right." Raven nodded. There was a pregnant pause as Cyborg went back to his work. She sighed, defeated. "And Beast Boy?" Cyborg looked around, seemingly surprised his friend wasn't in the room with them.

"Huh...he was playing some games. He must have gone to change or something. He should still be in the tower. The communicators are set to alert mode if someone goes off on their own right now." Raven nodded and sat at the couch, eating her sandwich while watching the skyline through the window. Outwardly, she was as calm as ever but her mind was racing.

He was here somewhere! He had been playing games? He hadn't come looking for her! What did that mean? Had she been wrong about him? Was he interested in her at all?

She finished her sandwich and closed her eyes. He wasn't even here and she was losing control. Thanks to her meditation earlier, it took only seconds to reign in her emotions but she kept going for a while longer. She chanted quietly for another half hour, took a deep breath and, as she exhaled, opened her eyes. She turned to her left and saw Beast Boy laying on the couch about three feet from her, staring at the ceiling.

"Beast Boy?!" He jumped slightly as he was called and sat up, smiling at her in greeting.

"Oh...h-hi, Rae!" He flinched as he realised his use of her pet name. Not a good start. He waited for the rebuke but, to his astonishment, it never came.

"Hi...Garfield." This was too much. She let him call her Rae, then she used his name and - was she smiling?! To his credit, even now he remembered to apply the techniques he learned from the Martian Manhunter. He felt no guilt this time. This time he was doing it for Raven's sake, believing that, if she sensed the intensity of his emotions, she would never be able to look at him. He was 'taking it slowly'. All Raven saw was that sincere smile again. He shook himself, deciding that just staring at her didn't accomplish much. Instead he posed a question he had wanted to ask for years, but never thought she would answer honestly... there was a chance now, though.

"Raven?" The young woman blinked and swallowed, both terrified and excited at what he might say. "What does 'Azerath Metrion Zinthos' mean?" Raven almost laughed at herself. She had practically been bracing herself for proposals of marriage!

"It's a chant I use to focus my thoughts. It really helps when I meditate or want to use my powers." The green man shook his head.

"I know what it does, Raven. I want to know what it means." She was momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say. She never talked about her past or origin if she could help it. Beast Boy took her silence as reluctance. "It's okay, Rae. If it's too personal or-"

"No. It's alright. 'Azerath' is where I was born, where I was raised, where I was educated and where I was trained. It's a cornerstone of who I am so, like most Azerathi monks, it's the first step in my chant. My mantra. 'Metrion' is an Azerathi...not a deity, exactly but...an avatar if you like. The monks would select one of their own to represent particular virtues or strengths. Metrion was an ancient Azerathi who was chosen as the paragon of serenity and that is what I strive for, both in meditation and in combat. With me so far?"

"I'm with you, Rae," Beast Boy answered. Raven tried not to think of what else that short sentence could mean.

"Finally, 'Zinthos'. Zinthos is an even older avatar but he wasn't always a monk. He had been a warrior in his youth and a general in middle age. He eventually gave up all of his 'glory in war' and chose peace instead. His name means several things: power, combat, strategy and even peace to some. I chose his name because my power comes from a dark source, meant for war and strife but I hoped to find peace. 'Azerath Metrion Zinthos'." The silence was heavy as she finished. Raven's heritage was a source of shame for her no matter how often she was told it didn't matter.

"So... 'Home, Serenity...Heroism'?" Raven looked at him quizzically at the last one. "Using power, maybe even violence to try and keep the peace? Sounds kinda familiar, doesn't it?" He gestured to their surroundings, a grin on his face.

"I...I never thought of it quite like that," Raven admitted. Beast Boy beamed at her. "But, no not quite." His smile vanished so Raven quickly continued. "Azerath is where I started, my first step. If I wanted to say 'home' I would have to shout 'Huge, ostentatious T-shaped building Metrion Zinthos." A wry smirk appeared on Raven's face as she finished. Beast Boy chuckled, grinning even wider now.

"Catchy!" They laughed together then, though Raven's was quieter by far. After that they moved easily into small talk. There were occasional moments where Raven groaned at Beast Boy's sense of humour or Beast Boy needed something dumbed down a little when Raven started speaking almost entirely in long words, but it was all good-natured. Beast Boy tried very hard not to cheer as their longest civilized conversation just kept going. And he hadn't ruined it yet! Without meaning to, the pair moved their conversation on to more personal topics.

"Rae?" For now the pet name seemed to have been accepted so Beast Boy used it at every opportunity. They now both lounged on the couch, staring at the ceiling as they talked.

"Yes, Garfield?" There was that buzz again...he remembered eventually that she was still waiting for him to continue.

"Do you ever feel guilty for knowing that bad things happened to people and... and being sorta glad? Sorta?" Raven turned to look at him now. This sounded more serious.

"What do you mean, Garfield?" The buzz again! He hoped he got used to that...or actually, maybe he didn't.

"Well, look at my family. I got bitten by that monkey, I got Sakutia, I got the treatment that turned me green for life...then, my parents died. Then I got kidnapped by my guardian, then those guys that used me to steal for them..." Raven listened patiently. Of course, she knew this story already but knew he was going somewhere with this recounting. "Then the Doom Patrol, which was kinda good, I guess but really hard. Then I was homeless... And your mom got...hurt by Trigon and then your childhood sucked as bad as mine..." He was quiet for a long time.

"Garfield?" He looked at Raven as she said his name, his expression guilty but also seemingly relieved at getting all these thoughts off his chest. He lay back and put his hands over his eyes.

"All those things happened and they were all bad but...without them I wouldn't be Beast Boy. I wouldn't be a Titan." He removed his hands and, once again, looked at Raven. This time he stared into her eyes. When he spoke again, there was a tremor in his voice. "I would never... we...we..."

"We would never have met?" Raven finished for him. He nodded, still looking mildly ashamed. "Garfield, it's perfectly normal to wonder about what life would be like if things had happened differently but you're over-thinking. Your parents, my mother... they wouldn't want us to mourn them at the cost of our happiness, would they?" Beast Boy shook his head. "Then you needn't feel guilty. If you're happy with what you have now, you're only doing what they would want you to do." That smile from her dream appeared on his face again.

"Thanks Rae. You're probably right...same as usual!" The smile expanded into a grin. Raven smiled back. Another idea had popped into her head and she silently argued with herself about it. Eventually, she decided to push herself a little and Beast Boy's eyes widened as Raven laid her hand across the couch they both lay on, palm up and fingers outstretched. He swallowed and reached out with his own, putting it in hers. Their fingers intertwined and Beast Boy stared at their joined hands for a long moment before looking back at her face.

"You're welcome...Garfield," she whispered. There was that buzz again! His mouth worked but no word emerged for a time. Eventually, he found his voice.

"Raven...Raven, I..." The use of her full name signaled to Raven that things were about to get even more serious. It was getting to be too much for her.

"Garfield." She gently interrupted. He paused immediately.

"Yeah?"

"I know it's not fair but...can we just be like this right now?" She squeezed his hand a little. Beast Boy closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts, reminding himself again that he had agreed to go at her pace. Raven briefly wondered if she had disappointed him... then his eyes opened and he smiled that smile again.

"Sure, Rae." She let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding and smiled with him. They both turned their head to look out the window at the now starry sky, their hands staying joined between them. He silently thanked Raven for stopping him: that would have been way too much, too soon. He supposed he should have felt a little disappointed things had stopped there but, the way his chest was filled with that indescribable buzz she had been causing all night, there just wasn't room for it.

Raven was thrilled! They had talked all night about things trivial and personal and she had loved every minute. She had moved things to another level and he had responded and then, when she had to put on the brakes, he let it happen with a smile. The place he had in her heart grew a bit larger in that moment as she added another item to her list. It was sickeningly cliché but it felt like the right word. She whispered so quietly even Beast Boy couldn't have heard:

"Sweet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's chapter six. This one was so fluffy I almost lapsed into a diabetic coma! Now I've just gotta work out a way to move the plot forward instead of just making them all gooey :)
> 
> -Jack


	7. Kiss-ass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer an' stuff.
> 
> Well, BB and Rae seem to be getting together in slow motion. Crazy! Maybe we can speed things up a bit...

When Beast Boy woke up the following morning, he grinned almost straight away, the events of last night replaying in his head. His face felt a little sore...he wouldn't be surprised if he had been grinning in his sleep as well. He hopped out of bed, washed and dressed and strolled toward the common room, feeling strangely compelled to whistle. Butterflies appeared in his stomach as he reached the door, a mixture of nervousness and eagerness running through him. He took a deep breath, opened the door and came face-to-face with Raven herself. Both of them stared with wide eyes for moment and then they both blushed in perfect synch. Beast Boy was the first to break the tension, rubbing his hair and chuckling at their display, though the blush remained.

"Heh...uh...morning, Rae." As he beamed, Raven's own nerves melted away.

"Good morning, Garfield." The buzz again. Best. Morning. Ever. He realised she had been on her way out.

"You're not having breakfast, Rae?" he asked. Raven smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"I've already eaten. You slept late."

"Oh..okay." Beast Boy fought not to be disappointed that she hadn't waited for him. He knew it was a foolish wish, it was far too early to expect-

"I... I waited for a while to see if you would show up but I need to meditate. Meditation is tough if your stomach won't be quiet." Raven grew quieter with every word, looking at her feet and blushing even more. Beast Boy's mouth hung open...

"You... waited for me?" it seemed like a tiny gesture but Beast Boy was thrilled, nonetheless, by any sign she wanted to spend time with him. He smiled that sincere smile - the one which gave Raven that buzz in her stomach - and replied just as quietly. "That was sweet of you, Rae. I'm sorry I was late."

"It's alright." Raven's reply was bordering on a whisper. "I have to meditate now, Garfield (buzz). I'll see you later?"

"Just try and stop me, Rae." He stepped to one side and let her pass. She stopped in front of him and turned her head to face him. He could see she was arguing with herself again so he stood and waited. She clumsily moved toward him and put her arms around his waist, then pressed the side of her face against his shoulder. Before he could even think about returning the embrace, she had let go and quickly marched toward her room, flipping up her hood as she went. Beast Boy stared at the blank spot she had occupied for a few seconds, mumbled gibberish for a few more and finally walked toward the kitchen. When he sat down with his cereal, he was smiling again, rosy-cheeked. Cyborg had missed the display at the door so watched his friend curiously. Starfire had stared shamelessly the whole time and Nightwing had watched from the corner of his eye but neither said a word.

"What's got you so chipper this mornin', B?" The green man only smiled wider as he chewed. Once he finished the mouthful, he pointed his spoon at Cyborg.

"Last night... Raven..."Cyborg's eyes widened. "held my hand." His cybernetic friend narrowed his eyes and glared/pouted at his friend.

"That's all?! Man, you got me worked up into thinking something-"

"CY! Think! Last night... Raven!... Held. My. Hand." Cyborg looked back at his friend for a moment. Then it sunk in. He grinned a grin of his own and held his hand up for Beast Boy.

"Whoa! Meet BB, the green casanova!" Beast Boy high-fived his friend and went back to eating, this time talking through his food. The others waited for a familiar 'chicks dig the ears' speech. That wasn't what they got.

"Yeah... not sure I can take the credit. Raven's the one putting herself out there, I'm just trying to-" as he stopped, he looked guiltily at Starfire. Nightwing whispered in her ear and she floated through the door.

"You were saying?" Nightwing encouraged. Beast Boy cleared his throat and spoke again.

"Remember what we were talking about? Going at her pace? That's all I did. I mean yeah, we talked and stuff... I don't think I'm gonna tell you about that. I managed to not be an idiot the whole time! Then she just...reaches out. She did that. For me!" Beast Boy stared into space, cereal forgotten. The other two men looked at each other for a moment, unsure what to say. Instead, Cyborg snapped his fingers in front of Beast Boy's face.

"You in there, B?" The green man started, then chuckled self-consciously.

"Yeah, sorry. Guess I still can't quite believe my luck!" he said with a sheepish grin. His smile faded as he saw the conflict in Cyborg's face. "Cy?"

"B... you know I'm your friend, right?" Beast Boy nodded. "Thing is...Raven. She doesn't have any family looking out for her." Cyborg looked directly at his friend now, all business. "She has me. You get me?"

"She has us." Nightwing amended. Beast Boy's smile still remained, but had become one of determination.

"I got it, dudes. I won't hurt her." The other two men nodded. Then the three of them moved effortlessly into more pointless conversation, same as every other morning.

Starfire had flown to Raven's room to ask if she could join her in meditation. The sorceress had agreed and the pair spent the next hour hovering and chanting Raven's mantra. After they had finished, Raven opened her eyes to see Starfire staring at her with barely contained excitement, hands clasped together under her chin.

"So?" the alien asked. Raven feigned innocence.

"...'So' what?" Starfire began to float steadily upward, looking remarkably like she was about to throw a tantrum.

"Raaaveennnnn..." she wailed. "You are teasing me and I cannot withstand it!" Raven raised her hands in surrender and Starfire was instantly beside her again.

"We talked last night and it was...nice." Starfire squealed. "I'm not ready to say what we talked about. It was...personal. Then-"

"When did you do the hand holding?!" Raven was almost bowled over by Starfire's volume.

"Garfield mentioned that? I suppose he might not think it was that important-"

"Oh Raven, no!" Starfire interrupted again. "I have given you an impression of falsehood! Friend Beast Boy thought it was very important, he did not speak of it casually! In fact, I believe he might not have mentioned it at all if he had noticed I was there..." Raven looked at her in disbelief.

"Beast Boy, he of the enhanced animal senses, failed to notice you, the flying princess with bright red hair, orange skin and glowing green eyes?!" Starfire giggled and nodded.

"I believe his mind was... 'elsewhere', Raven." The pale woman nodded thoughtfully. She had a confidant in Starfire, it only made sense that Beast Boy had confided in Cyborg and Nightwing. Raven turned to her friend again.

"...'Very important', huh?" Starfire recounted the conversation in the common room up to the point where she left. Raven was pleased to hear about his attitude. There had been no preening, no disappointment in his words and, most astonishingly, no 'chicks dig the ears' monologue. Her train of thought was interrupted by another question.

"Raven, now that you have admitted to finding friend Beast Boy the 'hot'" Raven almost tumbled from the bed at that. "I simply must know!... Do you 'dig the ears'?" Before Raven could answer, the alarm rang throughout the building. Starfire was already in her uniform and Raven, momentarily swallowed by a black raven, appeared now in her own. The pair moved to the door but Raven felt a hand on her shoulder. "You have not answered my question." Expression carefully neutral, Raven opened her mouth to deny such a ridiculous thing.

"Kinda... yeah." Damn it.

When they arrived in the common room, the three men stood around the monitor as the information cascaded down. Nightwing tapped a few keys and muttered a name.

"Doctor Light. He's been on the run for months, in fact we thought he'd left Jump City for good. Turns out he's been hiding out in an abandoned warehouse. It was scheduled for demolition... and they found him. He's been attacking the demo crews. Time we got involved."

"I can handle this," Raven said. "Everyone else can relax." Nightwing shook his head and opened his mouth. But he wasn't the one who spoke.

"No, Raven," Beast Boy said. "No solo outings, remember?" He looked vaguely apologetic as he spoke... but there was no smile. Raven folded her arms and grimaced.

"Fine. Shall we go, then?" Nightwing nodded and issued orders.

"Cyborg, I'll meet you in the garage once I've suited up. Star, Raven, you wait on the roof for Beast Boy to get ready. Go!" The Titans went.

Starfire listened as Raven ranted on the roof.

"He told me off! He doesn't get to do that, even if we're... whatever!"

"Are you upset he told you no? Or are you upset that he was right to do so?" Starfire asked, completely unperturbed by the seething Raven. The woman herself folded her arms again, and grumbled.

"Schooled by Beast Boy and Starfire and it isn't even lunch time." Starfire giggled at her friend. Beast Boy joined them and the alien deliberately took off ahead of them. Before Raven could follow, Beast Boy called after her.

"Rae! Uh...sorry about before." He still wasn't smiling. Raven sighed and looked at him over her shoulder.

"Don't be." He smiled then...there was that buzz again. They both took off and caught up to Starfire, Beast Boy in the form of a raven. She glanced at him with a small smile of her own. "Pff... kiss-ass." The raven cawed it's own amusement and followed Raven closely all the way to their destination.

When all five members gathered in a quiet spot near Light's hideout, it was decided that Raven would draw his attention, then the team could get in close and, hopefully, neutralise him quickly. Getting his attention was even easier than expected: all Raven did was land outside the door and Light burst out from the old manager's office.

"YOU!" he cried, face contorted in fury.

"Me." Raven replied, lacing her voice with disdain. Light marched toward her but stopped ten yards from where she stood.

"I've been waiting for a chance to see you again. You made a mistake if you thought you could handle me on your own. This time, I will be the one to break you! You ghoulish thing, you evil litlte harpy! You-" Light was silenced as a green mouse crept up behind him, transformed into a green tiger and knocked him to the ground, face down. The tiger's forepaws each stood on Light's forearms, meaning he couldn't use his weapons. The villain cried out in agony at first but was silenced by the low snarl at his ear. He was able to turn his head enough to see the teeth bared only inches from his face: he started to tremble but no sound issued forth. Nightwing arrived and Beast Boy shifted back to himself, allowing his leader to secure Light in restraints designed to suppress his abilities. Raven frowned slightly: it seemed that Beast Boy had perhaps been...overenthusiastic in apprehending Doctor Light. She let it go for now. As usual, the Titans were joined by the police and, slightly more unusually, the press. Raven, much to her displeasure, found herself being interviewed when a familiar face appeared. This journalist was one of a few who, after discovering Raven's short temper, delighted in trying to make her lose it in range of their cameras.

"Raven! Do you ever wonder why Doctor Light, a villain, has powers over pure, white light while you, a "hero" (he had even done the inverted commas gesture with his fingers) have powers that are dark, spooky and just plain creepy?" Well, he wasn't wasting time today. Before Raven could articulate a response, the man's face paled as he stared over her shoulder. From behind her, Raven could hear that same low snarl tiger-Beast Boy had made earlier. When she looked, however, Beast Boy stood behind her, still humanoid. The journalist hurriedly excused himself. Raven got Beast Boy's attention.

"You. Follow me." She levitated up onto a nearby roof top and was joined by a familiar green raven. The bird looked at her... she stood with her arms folded, tapping her foot impatiently. The raven bit wasn't working this time. He morphed back to himself.

"Rae, I-"

"Stop. I know we're..." She indicated herself and Beast Boy. "...whatever. But I don't need a 'big, strong man' to protect 'little me' from petty muckrakers."

"I wasn't-"

"Yes, you were. With Light as well, even back at the briefing at home." Beast Boy stared at the ground, fists clenched. His hands relaxed as he let out a sigh.

"You're right...about Light and the briefing. I know in my head you can look after yourself. Heck, you're way more powerful than me anyway. I just...I just-"

"It's alright, Garfield." Even now, there was that buzz. He wasn't finished talking, though.

"That creep reporter, though... You were right about me overreacting at home and with Light but that guy... It wasn't that I thought you couldn't handle it, even subconsciously. It was that I decided you shouldn't." He hurried on before Raven could stop him. "I can't protect you from bad guys and danger. That's your job. But that guy... he said those things just to hurt you. He set out today to make your life a bit more miserable. You don't deserve that, Rae... you deserve to have someone take the misery out of your life and try and fill it with... well, happiness I guess. And I guess I kinda want that to be my job." Beast Boy wasn't smiling but that same sincerity shone in his eyes.

"Garfield..." Raven began. Beast Boy could see she was struggling. Time to rein it in a little...

"Besides, Rae," he asked cheekily, his grin returning. "I bet you woulda said something if he called me a green idiot." There was no way she could let that one go.

"Before or after I completely and wholeheartedly agreed with him?" Beast Boy clutched at his heart in mock offence. "Well... I suppose I might have offered to turn him inside out with my mind."

"Aww Rae, you say the sweetest things." Beast Boy said. Raven finally smiled back. She noticed Nightwing signalling them from the ground, indicating it was time to go. Starfire joined them and they flew home, Cyborg and Nightwing travelling in the T-Car. Once again, Raven was accompanied by a green raven. When she saw it, she shook her head slightly and smiled.

"Kiss-ass."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, a cameo from Doctor Light, there's another box ticked on the 'BBRae fic checklist' lol. This one was a bit tougher to get right: I wanted them to have a disagreement but not an argument. I hope I've succeeded. Enjoy, dudes!
> 
> -Jack


	8. Don't Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: yeah, I don't own things and stuff.
> 
> Things seem to be going well for our heroes. Seems like the perfect time to throw a load of trouble their way!

The next few weeks at the T-Tower went as you might expect. The five heroes went about their lives as usual, though Nightwing still mulled over the recent technology thefts that had abruptly ceased. The biggest change to the routine, of course, was the slowly-but-surely blossoming relationship between Raven and Beast Boy. Not that they would have labeled it thus. In fact they had avoided labelling it at all. Whatever it was, it worked for them right now. They had done nothing more intimate than holding hands, though that happened more and more often. That isn't to say the time was without incident: on a few occasions Raven had needed some time to herself. On one of those occasions, Beast Boy hadn't got the message quickly enough and had been teleported, upside down, into the refrigerator. Fortunately, Cyborg had been in the kitchen and had opened it straight after hearing a crash from within. After tumbling out, Beast Boy had grinned sheepishly and offered a simple explanation:

"Rae needs her space, sometimes..." He endured these occasions as well as he could but was practically counting the minutes until she reappeared. But tonight, after they returned from a particularly harrowing call out to a chemical factory in which they had not only to subdue a rampaging Plasmus but rescue trapped workers, Raven almost immediately disappeared into her room, accepting Beast Boy's offering of tea but not his company. None of them liked working fires... it was easy to get lost in the smoke. Apparently that had happened to Raven and, before she had teleported herself a few hundred yards into the air, panic had started to set in, hence the immediate need for meditation. Beast Boy counted the minutes, as always... but she didn't reappear. She stayed in her room for the rest of the night. He knew then, by the ache in his chest, how dependent he had become on her company. At 1 am he finally conceded defeat and shuffled, morosely, to bed, idly wondering if Raven felt the same about his company.

*knock knock knock*

Beast Boy tried to open his eyes but they were scratchy and unwilling. A few more tries and he was able to just make out the blurry, red digits on his alarm clock. They said 3:50 am.

*knock knock knock*

There it was again. He struggled to his feet and grumbled as he made his way to the door. If this was Cyborg getting excited over his next big idea for a sandwich again... The door slid open. His grimace dissolved and he was suddenly glad he had worn a shirt tonight.

"Rae?..." Raven stood, completely covered by her hood and cloak, though Beast Boy's nose registered she must have changed out of the smoke-soiled one she wore earlier. There was also a tell-tale movement near the front where her hands fidgeted beneath.

"I...sorry, this was stupid." She turned to leave but Beast Boy's hand held her shoulder.

"Wait!" He winced at his own loudness. "Wait. What is it, Rae?" She fidgeted again, unable to look him in the eye. He stood and waited, still blinking the tiredness from his eyes. Eventually she replied, whispering so quietly even he had to lean closer.

"I couldn't sleep. I needed to see you."

"About what?" He pondered what could be important enough to keep Raven awake... but a small, helpless whimper from her got his attention again.

"No, I... I couldn't sleep without seeing you. I didn't get to see you after we got back and... and..." she stopped speaking when she finally looked up and saw Beast Boy's expression - one of pure wonderment and bliss. He finished her sentence for her, though he still scarcely believed it...

"You missed me, Rae?" She nodded. Even in the dark he could sense her embarrassment. He slowly moved his hand from her shoulder to her hood and gently pulled it down. Her cheeks were aflame and she bit her trembling lip. "I missed you, Rae. I waited till after midnight but... well I thought you probably weren't gonna be back tonight."

"Sorry..." she whispered, now looking straight at him, unashamed after his own confession. He smirked and said what had recently become her customary response to his many apologies.

"Don't be." She smiled and looked down at her feet, feeling slightly silly. When she faced him again, he was wearing that smile again. As usual, it gave her that buzz in her stomach. Things felt different this time, though. Her smile slowly faded as her eyes searched his - she couldn't look away! Slowly, so very, very slowly, he leaned closer...and closer...and closer... His head tipped to the left... so did hers... so close now he could taste her breath...

*FOOM!*

They froze. Beast Boy's head whipped around to see the remains of his pillow floating to the ground. Raven peered over his shoulder.

"...Oops. Sorry?" He turned back around sporting a wry grin and gave a world-weary sigh.

"Don't be." He reached down and took both her hands in his, leaning his forehead against hers with his eyes closed. Raven sighed as well, closing her own eyes and smiling ruefully. "Not yet?" he asked. The woman smiled wider and shook her head. They stayed like that for a few more moments.

"Someday..."she said. He snickered a little, leaning back to look at her again.

"You promise?" he asked, laughter in his voice. It wasn't a real question and they both knew it. One of the unspoken conditions of their...whatever was no promises, no commitment, nothing one could hold over the other.

"I promise," Raven whispered. Beast Boy was dumbfounded. More than a simple promise, this was Raven admitting that they were no longer just 'exploring potential'... it meant she wanted to share something as beautiful and in her case, dangerous, as a kiss...with him! She had essentially admitted her feelings for him, putting her heart in his hands. Now she waited to see what he would do with it. He smiled that smile again and leaned in to whisper in her ear...

"I'll hold you to that, Rae... but I'm willing to wait." On his reply she smiled wider than ever before, letting him draw her into a gentle embrace without resistance. When he let her go, she reached up with both hands, holding both sides of his face. She could see the question in his eyes but didn't speak. Instead she turned his head to one side and planted the lightest of kisses on his cheek before disappearing in a black, bird-shaped nimbus. He closed his door, dug out a spare pillow and lay back down. He stared at his ceiling for a few minutes and then, just to make sure, moved his right hand over his left forearm... and pinched. Hard. "Awesome." was his last word before finally rolling over to sleep.

The following morning, Raven sat with her customary cup of tea but found it impossible to settle down. Something just felt out of place. She looked around her and saw Cyborg, Nightwing and Starfire going about their own business, nothing out of the ordinary. Beast Boy was absent but, at this time it was to be expected, especially considering that she had woken him up in the middle of the night. The recollection made her blush as intensely as if it had just happened... but the feeling of discomfort wouldn't ease. After ten more minutes she gave in.

"Does anyone know where Garfield is?" Cyborg looked up from his breakfast.

"Probably where he always is about now: in bed, face down in a puddle of his own drool." Without looking up from his newspaper, Nightwing held up a hand for Cyborg to high-five. Raven had little patience for their antics this morning.

"Could you check? Please?" The tone of worry, unfamiliar in Raven's voice, persuaded Cyborg. He checked the data feed on his arm and checked the location of Beast Boy's communicator, double-checking the locator beacon attached to his uniform. Both registered as in his bedroom.

"See? Says here he's in his room." Cyborg indicated the display, waving his arm above his head. Raven seemed to accept it for a few seconds... then shook her head, got up and walked over to the table.

"Can you go and check his room?" Cyborg opened his mouth to protest but Raven silenced him with an uncharacteristically nervous look. "Please, Cyborg? Something feels... off." Raven's instincts were not to be ignored. Cyborg got up and, together with Raven, marched to Beast Boy's room. He didn't even bother to knock, punching in the override code. Beast Boy was nowhere to be seen, nor was he in his bathroom. After turning on the light, Raven saw his communicator and a small, ragged piece of purple fabric lying on his desk. Cyborg confirmed the patch contained his uniform's locator beacon. At that moment the alarm rang. The pair looked at each other and sprinted for the common room. As they approached, they could hear Nightwing talking to someone with a deep, smooth and utterly terrifying voice.

"Slade!" Cyborg exclaimed, not breaking stride. Raven could swear the door was getting further away, she was so desperate to reach it. Her heart felt like it had plummeted into her stomach and she was already shaking her head in denial. She muttered as she ran.

"Don't be Garfield, don't be Garfield, don't be-"

They reached the door and, as it parted, they saw Slade on the monitor. As he saw Raven, he asked one question:

"Lose something, Raven?" He stood to one side and revealed, behind him, an unconscious Beast Boy, bound to the wall by his hands, feet, waist and neck. Raven sank to her knees and, with a sob, said what they were all feeling:

"Oh no..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's a love story without a little trouble? And what's a Teen Titans story without that trouble being Slade? lol
> 
> You may hate me a little bit for writing an accursed cliffhanger but, I swear, I'm writing the next bit right. Effing. Now. I'm as anxious for the conclusion as anyone!
> 
> -Jack


	9. Sladed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: yeah, whatever...
> 
> Never mind me, let's see what happens next!

Cyborg picked Raven up of the floor, standing her back on her feet.

"Stay with us, Rae... we need you right now. He needs you." She nodded shakily, ruthlessly suppressed her tears and joined the team. Slade spoke again.

"Now, before you go and start your detective work...'Robin'..." Nightwing snarled at the use of his old name - a cruel reminder of Beast Boy's playfulness. "I'm going to tell you where he is. I'm also going to tell you where these are." The image split into four quarters, the top-right still showing Slade and Beast Boy while the other three each showed a suspicious-looking device.

"What are we looking at?" growled Nightwing.

"Those are three bombs, each containing a payload of toxic gas lethal to humans. They should be lethal up to a radius of...oh, about 5 miles." The team glowered at the image of Slade. He continued. "Each one is tailored to a specific Titan. The one in the docks is protected by mystic shields. This one is in the parking lot near City Hall and is protected by a hi-tech force field which can only be deactivated with a password... or by a uniquely gifted hacker. The third and final bomb is atop Jump City's tallest building and can only be reached by someone who can fly, but the mechanism can be stopped easily."

"I'm guessing you didn't forget me, Slade." Nightwing ground out.

"No... the bombs must all be deactivated in the next half hour. If you're not here to face me in that time... I will kill your pet!" Raven flinched but remained admirably silent. The screen went blank then filled with the address where Slade waited. Nightwing didn't even give Raven a chance to protest.

"I know what you want to say, Raven. You have to go after that bomb in the docks, you're the only one of us who could... and he knows it." She clenched her eyes shut and bit her lip. She felt Nightwing's hand on her arm. "I'll save him, Raven. I'll save him." She believed him.

"Thank you..." she whispered, then Nightwing addressed the team as a whole.

"Okay, we all know what we need to do... this is a trap. But we can't let those bombs go off. Be aware, be as safe as you can but get the job done. Go!" The four heroes wasted no more time. Raven teleported to the docks and began seeking her goal, Cyborg shot out toward City Hall in his car, Starfire rocketed to the skyscraper bomb and Nightwing rode his motorcycle to Slade's address, already planning the upcoming battle.

In a vast, dark room, Slade stood in the only spot illuminated by a single light bulb. Barely ten minutes after ending his 'chat' with the Titans, Nightwing burst through the blacked-out skylight and landed ten feet in front of him. Slade was genuinely impressed, both at his quick arrival and dramatic entrance. No time for that now though...

"Slade! Where is Beast Boy? What are you planning with those bombs?!" Nightwing yelled at him, escrima sticks in hand.

"Hmmm? Oh yes, I did say 'bombs' didn't I. Well I must apologise, 'Robin'. I lied." Three monitors flickered to life behind the mastermind, each showing the other Titans cautiously approaching one of Slade's devices. Without warning, each device rapidly unfolded and expanded, then rebuilt itself as a containment cell. All three were captured instantly.

"Those things will never hold them," Nightwing argued. Slade seemed unconcerned.

"Ah, but I told the truth about each being designed for a specific Titan. Look closer..." Nightwing could see now that Raven's cell was covered in arcane runes - a magic cell just for her. Cyborg's appeared to be electrically charged somehow, probably to disable his systems. Starfire's appeared simply to be extremely sturdy. Slade elaborated, predicting Nightwing's appraisal: "The alien's cell has metallic chromium in it's construction, so her natural Tamaranian allergy should keep her from gathering the strength to break out." Nightwing was aghast... his entire team, disabled in minutes.

"You...I'll stop you." Slade seemed amused at the threat.

"You'd better, you're the only one left...but it's not me you need to stop."

"You brought me here to face you, why-"

"And you did face me. But I never said fight me. Instead, how about we see if you can beat my brand. New. Apprentice." With the last word, Slade vanished into the shadows and Nightwing's stomach lurched. A new apprentice! Before Nightwing could re-evaluate his position, an almighty blow struck the back of his head. His vision blurred and the last thing he saw before blacking out was a great, hulking shadow standing above him...

Raven awoke to find herself strapped to a hard surface in a dark room. She could make out Slade to her right, back turned, seemingly using the workbench in front of him.

"Awake already, Raven?" Slade asked. Raven wasted no time.

"Azerath Metrion ZINTHOS!"...nothing. She tried again...and again and again. Nothing. Slade turned and walked to her side, almost casually. Suddenly, he lunged forward so his face was inches from Raven's and wrapped his fingers around her throat. He squeezed, lightly at first... then hard enough to hurt and make her breath ragged.

"Not so impressive without your little magic words, are we... dear Raven," he hissed the words, full of fury and hate.

"H-how...?" she gasped. He released her then and, as she coughed and spluttered, unbound her right hand and roughly grabbed her forearm. His grip was so tight, Raven thought he might have fractured something and yelped in pain. Then she noticed he was showing her what looked like a chunky bracelet on her wrist.

"In here is a very rare artifact. It is supposed to be a tremendously powerful purifying charm, used to resist evil spirits, that sort of thing. Turns out it also suppresses demonic energy... like yours, Raven. But that's not all: the bracelet isn't the charm, it contains the charm. The bracelet itself is technological... meaning that you don't have the slightest chance of disarming it yourself." Raven was distraught. She was beaten and, she suspected, so were her friends. In her misery, she asked what might have seemed an unwise question:

"Why didn't you just kill me? Why go to all this effort to imprison me?"

"Well, in your case, I couldn't be absolutely certain your death wouldn't bring about another apocalypse - more research to be done."

"And the others? What-"

"They're alive. All of them. You'll find out why soon enough." He tapped a button on his wrist and the bracelet gave an electric jolt strong enough to render her, once again, blissfully unconscious.

When she came to, she found herself in a more conventional cell, still wearing the bracelet. When she looked to her right, she saw the others in similar cages. Starfire sat, with heavy, metallic containers clamped around her hands. She also had an unsightly device strapped to her head that covered her eyes. She sat on the floor of her cell, looking forlorn. Next to her was Nightwing. He wore similar, but lighter restraints on his hands and his feet were chained together. He stood, looking defiant but exhausted. Cyborg sat in the cell furthest from her, the normally vivid blue lights on his cybernetic parts now only shining dimly. He looked semi-conscious. A frightening observation struck her:

"Has anyone seen G- Beast Boy?" Nightwing didn't say a word, just shaking his head solemnly. At that moment, a doorway opened and Slade walked in. Even without her powers, Raven could detect his sick sense of achievement.

"Ah, Titans together again, at last. And probably all wondering what I plan on doing with you... the short answer... is nothing. I simply need to keep you alive. Why? Well, all in good time. You're probably also wondering about your little, green pet. Actually, I think my new apprentice might have the answers to all your questions... won't you join us, apprentice?" The doorway opened again, this time filled by a huge silhouette. As it's owner walked in, Raven and Nightwing's jaws dropped in horror. Stood behind Slade, perfectly obedient... was the Beast.

"Beast Boy?!" Nightwing shouted incredulously. "What are you- How could-"

"Easy, 'Robin'... he's under my control, not his own. His control of this power is too weak to be trusted." Even in this situation, the Titans' relief was palpable. Raven spoke next... they needed to know more if they were to have any hope of victory.

"How did you do it? None of us have left the tower alone for weeks!"

"Heh... I'm sure you're aware of the stolen technology lately... nanotechnology for medical purposes. Currently, your friend here has some of that tech fused to his spinal cord, giving me access to his brain functions and motor controls."

"What?" Nightwing said. "When did-"

"If you can curtail your relentless interruptions, 'Robin'... I'll tell you... if only to see your face when you see how long ago I truly beat you. Perhaps you remember that last theft... where I sent Cinderblock to lure you out. Perhaps you also remember a tiny scratch on little Beast Boy's neck... that's all it took. The tech entered his blood stream and rebuilt itself according to my whim. I used it to... rearrange some of his animal instincts. In this form, he sees me as... an 'alpha', if you like. That's why I need you, for now. You serve as his pack... and I need to show I am dominant. Add a bit more human intelligence for proper interpretation and there you have it." They could hear the smile in his voice... it made them feel sick.

The scratch! Raven remembered... she had healed it herself. She sank to the floor, head in her hands: Slade truly had beaten them... before they even knew it was him. Seeing her reaction, Slade laughed to himself quietly, then turned to a table behind him to go over whatever plans he had for the Beast. Nightwing glared at him, impotently. Raven felt despair swallowing her. Then her brain ticked over...an 'alpha'? The Beast was one of a kind, it didn't have a pack instinct. Slade must have crossed it somehow with the instincts of another animal, like a wolf. Maybe there was a way to appeal to the Beast's own instincts to break Slade's control. But what instincts did it have other than to eat, fight and...protect her! She decided it was worth a shot, rising to her knees as Nightwing watched curiously.

"Beast Boy," she whispered. "Beast Boy!" No reaction. "Garfield?" The Beast's head swiveled to face her and it lumbered over to her cell.

"Raven...?" Nightwing whispered in warning. With a glance, he looked at Slade, who had yet to notice them.

"Help us, Garfield! Get us out!" Nothing. The Beast just watched her.

"You're wasting your time, Raven," Slade shouted, making her jump. "It won't obey your commands." Raven thought again. Commands won't work, begging won't work. Instinct, appeal to instinct... The Beast still watched her.

"He hurt me, Garfield. He hurt me." She pushed up her right sleeve, wincing at the pain. She showed the Beast the ugly bruise she had on her forearm, thanks to Slade. The Beast's reaction was immediate, enough even to get Slade's attention: its eyes narrowed and it crouched down so its muzzle was level with Raven's face. she held her arm up for it to inspect and it started sniffing, looking for the scent of the assailant. Raven helped him out, pointing at Slade. "He hurt me, Garfield," she repeated. The Beast's ears folded back and its eyes narrowed even further as it slowly stood up to its full height. Slade started to order it to back up.

"Appren-" he was cut off as a huge, green, bestial hand grabbed his neck and slammed him into the wall behind him, the impact such that it cracked the masonry. Slade threw a punch at the Beast but the creature simply caught the offending hand and then swung Slade around like a toy, whipping him into the walls, floor and furniture. After a few, brutal seconds, Slade was thrown to the ground, broken and twisted but still conscious. This was a fight he couldn't win. He painfully moved his broken fingers and pushed another button on his wrist, causing the nanotech's failsafe to activate: it detached itself from Beast Boy's nervous system and dissolved. The Beast stopped dead... Raven's breath caught in her throat... and then it reverted back to the familiar, humanoid Beast Boy. She was overjoyed to hear him groan - he was alive! Nightwing managed to get the changeling's attention. Despite not really knowing what had happened, Beast Boy limped over and opened Nightwing's cell. Together they found a key to his restraints and, while Beast Boy sat down on the floor in exhaustion, Nightwing unlocked Starfire's restraints, Starfire smashed the dampening device in Cyborg's cell and, finally, Cyborg unlocked the bracelet around Raven's arm. She immediately went to Beast Boy's side, pleased to find that he was uninjured, just completely spent.

"H... Hey, Rae. Are you okay?" Unable to trust her voice, she simply nodded. An evil, painful laugh filled the room - she was right next to Slade as he lay on the floor.

"You think the creature loves you? Don't be foolish!" She tried to ignore him but he carried on. "Ask yourself this: when did he first show an interest in you? Wasn't it that same night I infected him?" Raven's eyes widened. Beast Boy still didn't know exactly what was going on but tried to take hold of Raven's hand...but he was so weak.

"Raven, no-"

"It isn't him... it's the Beast. Its instincts, including its fondness for you, started filtering though to his human personality. And why is the ferocious, savage Beast fond of you? Well, who else would be a match for a Beast... but a demon?" Raven squeezed her eyes shut but the damage had been done. She stood up and walked away from Beast Boy. He called after her...

"No...Raven, no!" She couldn't look at him.

"I need to go..." she whispered before teleporting away.

"NO!" Beast Boy screamed. "Cy! Where did she go?"

"What? She's probably just gone ho-"

"CHECK!" Beast Boy interrupted. "Make sure she isn't running away or something!" The cybernetic hero looked at his arm, being more thorough than he was with Beast Boy's disappearance.

"Her communicator and locator are both in the common room... and the tower's systems are detecting her vital signs." He and Beast Boy both sighed in relief. This meant Beast Boy had a chance to fix... whatever this was. Speaking of which...

"Okay, guys. Someone wanna tell me what happened?"

After waiting for Slade to be picked up, the four remaining Titans piled into the summoned T-Car and made the journey home. Beast Boy had his answer... but he didn't like it.

"What am I supposed to do now?! That poisonous bastard! You know Raven, once the doubt's set in she can't let it go!" He tried her communicator... "She still won't answer me. What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do...?" He was almost in tears. No one knew what to say. Nightwing tried anyway.

"Trust is the thing. Not that she doesn't trust you, BB! It's that she thinks, thanks to Slade, that you weren't really you, so now I think she doesn't trust herself. Her own judgement."

"How does that help me?!" Beast Boy wailed.

"I dunno... if she can't trust her judgement, then you need proof. But-"

"You can't prove l-..." aww, the hell with it "...love." The others glanced sympathetically at his admission. Starfire clutched Beast Boy's hand.

"I am sure you can find a way, friend Beast Boy. You have always worn your feelings on your shirt sleeve, yes? Even a doubtful Raven will see the truth of it eventually." Though he was grateful, Beast Boy couldn't help but sulk...but then he perked up. A stupid, desperate idea had popped up in his head. And those ideas were his favourite kind!

Raven sat in the common room, nursing a forgotten cup of cold tea. She had healed her physical injuries but her heart... her face was neutral but her eyes showed the depth of her sadness. She had thought they had something...that she had found someone. Part of her knew Slade could be lying - he was certainly the type to lie just to hurt them. But right now, her Timid side had taken over: the risk was just too great. If it turned out to be true and one day, Beast Boy just turned around and left her... she didn't think she could survive that sort of cruelty a second time. Panic erupted in her chest when she heard the footsteps of the others... but she couldn't move. She was frozen. The door opened but only one person entered. Where the others had gone, she simply couldn't bring herself to care right now.

"Raven..." his voice was thick with misery.

"...Beast Boy." The use of that name was like a punch in the gut.

"What Slade said... it isn't true."

"How can you know that? He was in your head! You can't know. You can't!" Her anger at the whole situation made her questions come out as angry accusations.

"Rae-"

"Raven!" she corrected waspishly. His heart sank - back to square one. She was putting those walls back up... the walls that had taken years to break down. She turned her back to him.

"Okay...no more talk." Beast Boy sat at the dining table and closed his eyes. When he had briefly trained with Martian Manhunter, he had learned ways to isolate and hide his emotions. Now...he was going to try and do the opposite. He calmed himself down, tried to push away all the events of today. He pushed away his past, his childhood... focused all of his concentration on one thing: that night when Raven had first held his hand. Then he didn't even need that memory. He just pictured Raven herself, smiling, laughing, angry, crying, shouting...blushing. He opened his eyes...Raven had turned to look over her shoulder, tear tracks on her cheeks and confusion in her eyes.

"What are you-" she stopped and gasped for breath. Beast Boy didn't stop. He just gazed at her and let his feelings swallow him up, let them fill every part of him. Once again, that smile appeared on his face. Raven covered her mouth with both hands and fresh tears spilled from her eyes. She could see it! He was broadcasting his emotions louder than Starfire ever had. She could taste it, hear it, touch it... feel that he... that he... She moved her hands from her mouth and finally spoke with a watery, trembling voice.

"You... you love me." It wasn't a question.

Beast Boy finally stood and walked toward her. She could still see his aura. It was so beautiful... He stood in front of her now, taking her hand in his and still just gazing at her. Somehow, the aura around him grew even more intense.

"What are...?" Raven began but was silenced when his other hand moved up and pushed a lock of violet hair behind her ear before settling on her cheek, brushing at the tears under her eye with his thumb.

"I do, Rae. I do. I love you." he whispered. Their eyes searched each other's face, drinking in every detail as if it were their last meeting. Raven's mouth worked silently, hanging slightly open... but she hadn't planned to speak. Throwing caution to the wind she grabbed Beast Boy's face and crashed her lips to his, the kiss passionate and desperate. Her arms wrapped around his neck and Beast Boy snaked his arms around her waist and shoulders. Soon, they pulled back from the kiss but remained close, smiling at each other.

"I promised." Raven stated simply, still crying, Beast Boy had tears in his own eyes now, but was laughing instead of sobbing, unable to contain his utter joy. He looked her in the eye again... He didn't have her powers but somehow, he knew.

"You love me, Rae," he said. Raven just nodded. They kissed again but this one was chaste, hopeful and heartbreakingly tender. When they eventually pulled apart again, Raven laid her head on his shoulder, while Beast Boy just held her. After a few minutes, Raven spoke again, slightly embarrassed that she had forgotten all about them...

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Probably right outside the door. COME IN GUYS, I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!" The remaining Titans filed in, shame-faced. They decided quickly that going out for dinner was a good idea and went to change.

"You want to go with them?" Raven asked, still firmly locked in Beast Boy's arms... and totally okay with it. She felt his shrug.

"I am pretty hungry. You?"

"I could eat."

"We should probably go shower and change..." Beast Boy said, but made no move to let go. Raven simply nodded her agreement. They stood for another full minute.

"Or maybe you could just hold me some more?" Raven asked, the levity in her tone causing Beast Boy to laugh again. After another ten minutes, they had relocated to the couch, Raven curled up against Beast Boy's side while his arm rested around her shoulders. The other Titans returned, cleaned up and in civilian clothing. On seeing them, Beast Boy called out.

"Could you guys bring us back some pizza or something? I'm kinda beat after today." He grinned at his friends as he spoke. Nightwing agreed and the three declared they would be back soon with enough pizza to feed twenty Titans. After they had left, Raven decided she had one more thing to say.

"Garfield (buzz)... when Slade said those things... and I thought... and I said...I am so, so sorry." The green man leaned down until his nose touched hers, once again brushing the skin beneath her eye with his thumb, and said the only thing that felt right.

"Rae...don't be."

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over! The end is here and it's a happy one! This is a pretty big chapter (for me) but I just couldn't bring myself to have another cliffhanger with all this drama. There's a chance I might have an epilogue or something but, as far as the story goes, that's it! I hope some of you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Fond wishes to you all :)
> 
> -Jack


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I, like, totally don't own the Teen Titans or whatever
> 
> Well, here it is. Wraps up a few ideas I had left rattling around in my brain.

A week had passed since Slade's plan had been foiled. In that time, the Titans had been grimly satisfied to supervise the villain's transfer to Slabside, a metahuman prison located in Antarctica, nicknamed 'the Slab' by the inmates because there was only one way out: feet first. The Titans knew Slade too well to believe he could be kept there indefinitely, but hoped his injuries and new accommodation might keep him away for a good, long while. Beast Boy and Raven were closer than ever and unafraid to admit it, though public displays of affection were generally limited to hugs, pecks on the cheek and - their favourite - holding hands. On this day, on a grey afternoon, all five Titans were in the common room. Nightwing and Starfire quietly talked at the dining table, Cyborg stood in the kitchen assembling a gargantuan 'snack' and Beast Boy and Raven sat on the couch. Beast Boy was fiddling with a small, silvery contraption. A camera.

"Come on, Rae, I swear this will be the one! Cheeeeeese!" Raven's face was neutral, as usual but, as he prepared to take a photo of the pair of them, right hand outstretched and pointing the camera back at them, he pulled her in close with his left. So close, in fact, their cheeks were pressed against each other. Her expression didn't change but a light blush appeared, and those who knew her might have detected surprise in her eyes. Still... she played along.

"*sigh*... cheese," she uttered, her tone flat. This had been Beast Boy's fifth attempt at a photo and her patience had its limit. The man flipped the camera around to inspect his work. The way his face lit up told Raven her ordeal was at an end, another, more relaxed sigh escaping her lips.

"Aw yeah! This one is perfect!" He tapped a few buttons and looked eagerly to the common room monitor. Raven's relief had been premature - the faintly ridiculous picture of them with their faces squashed together, his jubilant and hers faintly irritated, filled the huge screen and elicited chuckles from the others. She was slowly getting used to it - being with Beast Boy meant it happened more often than she might have previously thought possible.

"You're an artist in the making, Garfield..." she said, dripping with sarcasm. He didn't care, just bounced over to the monitor keyboard and flashed a grin her way. To her further irritation, she couldn't help but return it with her almost-smile.

"How else am I supposed to send it, Rae?" he asked. She nodded at that - it was a fair point.

"Fair enough. It grows on you... maybe we should use it for our Christmas cards this year," Raven suggested. Beast Boy laughed again and resumed tapping keys.

"Hey, Nightwing! Can I get your passcode here? I need to send this to a secure destination." As the team leader, Nightwing possessed authorisation codes for communication with secure facilities like the Watchtower. He guessed it was probably being sent to the Doom Patrol - they were sticklers for protocol. He asked all the same as he entered his code.

"Who're you sending it to, BB?" Without missing a beat, Beast Boy answered...

"Slade."

"W... Wh... Wha...WHAT!?" Nightwing looked at the screen - the message had already been sent. "Why?!" Beast Boy's jovial expression faded into a grim smile and he slowly turned to face his friend.

"I want him to see it. I want him to know that he tried his hardest to destroy us, not just the team but Rae and I, and it wasn't enough. I want him to see that he failed. And I want to be the one to make him see." Nightwing glanced at Raven, who had opened a book and started to read... she had clearly known and agreed. He shook his head a little, smiled ruefully and slapped the green man's back good-naturedly.

"Good work, B." Nightwing said, then sat back down with Starfire. Beast Boy sat next to Raven but tried not to interrupt her reading. He laid his arm across the back of the sofa and Raven wordlessly, still reading, leaned in so he could pull her close. After a few minutes, Raven noticed he was staring into space but still sporting a gentle smile.

"What has you so pleased?" she asked. He looked down at her, mischief in his eyes.

"Just thinking about you... in your old uniform," he teased. Raven blushed a little and smacked his chest with her book. He chuckled and indicated surrender. "Sorry, Rae... I was just teasing. I'm just... having a good day, I guess." She smiled at that and went back to her book. As she turned the next page, a wicked idea occurred to her.

"I might still have one somewhere..." she whispered. She felt his head whip around.

"Really?!" He cleared his throat, embarrassed by his enthusiasm. "I mean... oh, yeah?" The forced casualness was almost too much to bear.

"Maybe you'll find out one day," Raven answered, a smirk on her lips. He clapped his free hand over his eyes.

"Ahhh, you're killin' me, Rae!" he whined, but still smiled. She was getting better at this flirting business... but they both knew she wasn't ready to take anything further than that. He felt one of her hands on his, pulling it back from his eyes.

"Someday, Garfield (buzz)", she said, a promise in her eyes. Now it was his turn to blush.

"Someday..." he whispered back, planting a delicate kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, he saw her smiling, a challenge in her eyes. While they weren't ready for sex, the occasional make-out session wasn't out of the question. His eyebrows rose in excitement. Seeing her message had been understood, Raven stood and Beast Boy followed. Without really looking to see what he was doing, Cyborg issued a challenge of his own.

"Yo, BB! You feel like getting destroyed on Mega Monkey Mash-Up? Cyborg, yelled, moving over to the couch and picking up a controller. Beast Boy looked guiltily at his friend...

"Sorry, Cy. Maybe in a little while? Rae and I have something to do." At Beast Boy's reply, Cyborg pouted.

"Aw, man..." he whined. Then he grinned, seeing some entertainment value in the situation. As Beast Boy turned to leave with Raven, Cyborg gestured with his hand and, with his voice, mimicked the sound of a cracking whip. Nightwing shook his head at the lack of maturity. Beast Boy looked at his friend in horror.

"Dude..." he said, but before he could continue, Raven interrupted.

"You told him about the whipping? Tha's supposed to be personal!" Her comment was directed at Beast Boy and seemed genuine. Cyborg's jaw dropped, his eyes widened and he even began to tremble. That was as far as it went as Beast Boy could contain himself no longer, bursting into raucous laughter. Cyborg pouted again - she got him.

"Not cool, Raven," he said, folding his arms and glowering out the window. Raven only shrugged, already turning to leave again with Beast Boy.

"What can I say, Cyborg?" she said. "Sometimes... being bad feels good." Beast Boy laughed again, this time joined by Nightwing and Starfire. Cyborg just 'harrumphed' before playing on his own. In the corridor, Beast Boy had calmed enough to speak, taking Raven's hand in his as they walked.

"That was brilliant, Rae!... I am so hot for you right now..." Raven only smiled at the still relatively harmless flirting. She turned and walked backwards, now dragging Beast Boy toward her room. She batted her eyes at him and, for a second, he thought his heart rate had tripled.

"You like bad girls, Beast Man?" He shuddered. Did she know what she was doing to him? He was torn between asking her to stop and begging her to say more. He eventually settled on playing along.

"Maybe I do..." he said, waggling his eyebrows. Raven reached her door and stopped, her inside and Beast Boy still stood in the corridor.

"Aww, that's a shame," she said with artificial sweetness. "Didn't you know? I'm not bad... I'm a superhero!" With that she released Beast Boy's hand and closed her door in front of him. He stared at the grey door in shock while it sunk in. For a second, his lip trembled and he nearly burst into tears of dismay.

"R...Raaaaaeeeeeeeeeeee?" he wailed, swatting uselessly at the door. Suddenly, it opened and a grey hand grabbed his collar. He grinned again. "Heh... sorry 'bout that, Rae," he said, slightly ashamed at his display. She smirked as she dragged him inside and closed the door. With her hands on his chest, she pushed him back until he reached her bed, then shoved him down onto it. She sat next to him as he propped himself up on his elbows, running her hand through his hair. His smile vanished as he gently took her hand in his, then kissed her palm. She leaned in and kissed him properly, pulling back briefly to say one more thing.

"Garfield? (buzz)... Don't be." Beast Boy's head fell back on the bed and he groaned: she did know what she was doing to him! Deciding he would find time to be annoyed later, he pulled Raven in close and smiled into another kiss, feeling Raven do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, there's a no real plot to this bit, just a bit of pointless fluff. Who knows, in the future there might be some one-shots about the continuing, fluffy adventures of Beast Boy and Raven but for now, I'm all done. Flirtatious Raven is certainly formidable! Even their little private 'don't be' theme becomes a weapon in her hands! lol Hope you guys enjoy this little addendum. See you around!
> 
> -Shadowjack twelve-thousand, three-hundred and forty-five.


End file.
